EFFECTS OF IMPULSIVE SENSATION-SEEKING ON DECISION-MAKING AMONG ADOLESCENTS AND YOUNG PEOPLE
EFFECTS OF IMPULSIVE SENSATION-SEEKING ON DECISION-MAKING AMONG ADOLESCENTS AND YOUNG PEOPLE

Summary/Abstract: This study explores the implications of impulsive sensation-seeking on decision-making ability in two distinct age groups: post-adolescents (18-25 years) and young adults (26-35 years). The impulsive search for sensations is a personality characteristic that manifests itself through a person's tendency to seek and appreciate diverse, novel, complex and intense experiences. This includes a predisposition to try activities that may involve physical, social, legal or financial risks. Decision making capacity refers to the rationality of the decision-maker, more precisely to the sensitivity he has to the most common biases and decision heuristics. Using a sample of 70 participants, the Zuckerman-Kuhlman Personality Questionnaire (ZKPQ) to assess sensation-seeking behaviors and the Cognitive Assessment System (CAS++) to assess decision-making capabilities were applied. Data collection was done online, with participants filling in structured digital forms. Statistical analysis confirmed significant differences in decision-making capacities between the two age groups, with post-adolescents demonstrating lower decision-making scores compared to young adults. The study also found that there was no significant correlation between impulsive sensation-seeking behaviors and decision-making capabilities, suggesting that the direct influence of sensation-seeking on decision- making might be less than previously assumed. In conclusion, decision-making seems to improve with age and the accumulation of life experience, reflecting not only cognitive and psychological maturity, but also the effects of a supportive psychosocial context. The lack of a meaningful direct relationship between sensation- seeking and decision-making underscores the need for further research to understand how these dimensions interact throughout different stages of life.

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